8 RivCo Girl Scouts Honored, Among 13 IE Girl Scouts In 2024

MURRIETA, CA—The Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio announced that eight Riverside County Girl Scouts have been honored for their dedication to the community in 2024.

Of the 13 Inland Empire Girl Scouts, eight Riverside County recipients received the Gold Award for tackling significant issues and creating innovative solutions within their community. The projects focused on mental health awareness and improving the environment.

"Collectively, these remarkable teenagers spent more than 33,000 hours completing the Gold Award—the highest achievement in Girl Scouting," according to a news release. "To earn the Gold Award, each Girl Scout identifies an issue they care about, innovates an actionable solution, and dedicates a minimum of 80 service hours toward the project. A unique requirement of this prestigious award is the element of sustainability, as each Gold Award project must create a measurable, long-term impact that lasts after the project reaches completion."

The 8 Riverside County Gold Award winners were:

Corona resident HannahPeterson, Troop 2530, worked with a biologist to build special habitats for Lake Mathews and Riverside area burrowing owls.

Eastvale's Abbygale Gomez, Troop 2081, worked on a project related to food insecurity, according to the council. A student of Roosevelt High School, she addressed the issues of low-income households in her community by planting a community garden for older residents.

Jurupa Valley's Liliana Preciado, Troop 953, also won the Gold Award.

In Murrieta, Annie Holub, Troop 2352, has won the Gold Award. The Murrieta Mesa High School student worked with the Donald Graham Elementary School in Wildomar to create a sensory learning Garden.

Palm Desert's Logan Stendell, Troop 1176, developed an art therapy program. The program taught youths how to reach their inner artists and developed a curriculum for educators to continue the work.

Another Palm Desert Girl Scout, Sydnie Dantes, Troop 183, developed a program to raise awareness of Celiac Disease.

In Riverside, Shannon Herrera, Troop 2083, created a special maze for children affected by autism that she called a Mindfulness Maze.

Temecula's Olivia Nay, Troop 2553, has aided foster youth in a program she developed called "Healing Hearts Through Art." The Temecula Valley High School student developed an art program with a curriculum aimed at helping foster children. She provided virtual art lessons and encouraged them to create motivational cards and art supplies for kids.

Cynthia Breunig, Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio President and CEO, spoke on the 2024 award winners.

"Giving back and making the world a better place are foundational pillars of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience," Breunig said. “By laying the building blocks of community service at an early age, Girl Scouts begin to Take Action projects as young as five. Each year, we see our girls grow in leadership and further establish a sense of well-being and identity as they continue making bigger waves in their communities through service projects and the Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards. We are so proud of their accomplishments and are eager to see who they will become in the future. This is only the beginning for our Gold Award Girl Scouts.”

Congratulations to these Riverside County Gold Award winners, and best of luck with your future endeavors!